 Minnesota returns home on Thursday night, continuing a stretch of Big Ten games against ranked opponents as the Gophers host Ohio State.  The Gophers are 2-2 in Big Ten action, snapping a two-game win streak with the overtime defeat at Michigan State on Saturday.  Minnesota is looking to stop a six-game winless skid against the Buckeyes, with the last Gopher win coming at home in 2010. Against their longtime conference rivals, Minnesota holds a 33-31 advantage at the Barn over the Buckeyes.  Thursday's game is the third this year against a nationally-ranked opponent for the Gophers. Since last season, the Gophers are 5-8 against Top-25 opponents. Minnesota leads the league in steals per game (8.2) and free throw percentage (.755), while ranking fourth in three-pointers made per game (8.0), assists (14.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3). Minnesota's 3-point shooting effort against the Boilermakers on Jan. 5 was its best of the season, as the Gophers connected on 11-of-24 attempts, a season-best 45.8 percent mark and tying a season-high for made treys. Junior center Elliott Eliason has played well of late, as the Chadron, Neb., native posted his fourth double-double of the season and his career (10 pts., 10 rbs.) while blocking two shots and dishing an assist against Michigan. He added eight points, seven rebounds, and six blocks (one shy of his career high) against Purdue, and a 12-rebound, 11-point, four-block outing at Penn State. Eliason had game highs of 11 rebounds and four blocks along with seven points at Michigan State. Before this year, the Golden Gopher program had not seen a pair of players reach the 1,000-point plateau in the same season since the trio of Randy Carter, Voshon Lenard and Arriel McDonald did so during the 1993-94 season.